"The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has confirmed on January 23rd the operators that will deliver the first phase of its new bus franchising system, bringing buses back under public control for the first time since deregulation in the 1980s. The move places Liverpool among a small group of English regions outside London to adopt a franchised public transport model, fundamentally changing how local bus services are planned, funded and delivered."
"Under the franchising framework, the Combined Authority will assume responsibility for setting routes, fares and timetables, while contracted operators focus on service delivery. The approach follows a decision taken in 2023 by Mayor Steve Rotheram to pursue public control of the bus network, citing long-term issues around reliability, rising fares and reduced accountability under the deregulated system. Stagecoach has been selected to operate the franchised bus services based in St Helens, while Go-Ahead will run services in Wirral."
Liverpool City Region will return bus services to public control through a franchising system that reverses deregulation since the 1980s. The Combined Authority will set routes, fares and timetables while contracted operators deliver services. Stagecoach will operate franchised services based in St Helens and Go-Ahead will run services in Wirral as the initial rollout. New contracts are expected to begin in autumn 2026, with franchising extended across the full region by the end of 2027. The programme includes hundreds of millions of pounds for new buses, depots, upgrades and more than 100 all-electric double-decker buses aimed at net-zero by 2035.
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